Lady Gaga Volunteers at Wildfire Shelter After Fleeing Home, Gives Powerful Speech to Survivors
Days after she was forced to flee her Malibu home due to the raging Woolsey Fire, Lady Gaga stopped by a shelter to lend a hand to those in need.
The “Joanne” singer, 32, visited a makeshift Red Cross shelter at the Pacific Palisades High School on Sunday, according to TMZ. Over the course of 90 minutes, Mother Monster reportedly handed out gift cards, posed for photos, and sang to a 98-year-old woman in order to bolster the spirits of the evacuee.
“I extend my love,” Gaga told those seeking shelter. “I know we do not know each other, but I love you. This is an emergency, but you are not alone.”
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A post shared by Mack Dugger (@iamduggernaught) on Nov 11, 2018 at 9:29pm PST
A passionate advocate for mental health, Gaga urged those seeking treatment to speak to the mental health counselors available at the shelter, and also to “share your stories and talk to each other during this time.”
Lady Gaga is one of the hundreds of thousands of California residents who have been put in harm’s way by the massive wildfires that are continuing to spread across the state.
On Friday morning, the singer revealed on Instagram that she had evacuated from her home in Malibu. In a video posted to her Instagram Story, the A Star Is Born actress was seen packing up her things as smoke clouds hovered over the property.
Safely inside her car, Gaga shared another clip, writing that she was “sending my prayers to everyone today.”
Another photo from the evacuation showed the dark plumes of smoke overhead, which had almost completely obscured the blue sky.
RELATED: Celebrities Evacuate Their Homes as Wildfires Spread in Southern California
Gaga later wrote on Twitter, “I am thinking so deeply for everyone who is suffering today from these abominable fires & grieving the loss of their homes or loved ones. I’m sitting here with man of you wondering if my home will burst into flames. All we can do is pray together & for each other. God Bless You.”
“Thank you to the fire fighters, police, first and emergency responders for doing above and beyond everything you can do to help us. You are true heroes,” she added in a separate message.
I am thinking so deeply for everyone who is suffering today from these abominable fires & grieving the loss of their homes or loved ones. I’m sitting here with many of you wondering if my home will burst into flames. All we can do is pray together & for each other. God Bless You.
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) November 10, 2018
Thank you to the fire fighters, police, first and emergency responders for doing above and beyond everything you can do to help us. You are true heroes. #CaliforniaFire
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) November 10, 2018
RELATED: At Least 9 Dead in California Wildfires as Trump Threatens to Stop Federal Funding
As of Sunday evening, at least 31 people — 29 in Northern California and two in Southern California — are dead and at least 228 people are missing as three fires rage across the state, the Associated Press reported.
More than 8,000 firefighters are working to extinguish the fires, and about 150,000 people were urged to evacuate. In Southern California, at least 180 structures were leveled by fire.
The Camp Fire in Northern California has burned through 111,000 acres and was 25 percent contained by Sunday night, according to Cal Fire. In Southern California, the Woolsey Fire has torn through 85,500 acres and was 15 percent contained by Sunday night, while the Hill Fire affected 4,531 acres and was 75 percent contained.
To help victims of the California wildfires, visit the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the California Fire Foundation for more information.
